GA UCHO RIDTNG-BOOTS 



These Gauchos use a very peculiar kind of riding- 

 boot, which is made in the following manner : The 

 ham and part of the leg skin of a young- colt is stripped 

 off — this skin is very white and beautifully soft ; the 

 ham portion forms the calf of the boot, the hock being 

 suitable to very easily receive the heel ; the leg forms 

 the foot. Thus a very comfortable riding-boot, with 

 an aperture to admit of the great toe projecting through, 

 is formed. These Gaucho horses, and the Spanish 

 also, are wonderfully enduring, and it is by no means 

 unusual for them to travel a hundred miles in a day. 



When water is scarce these animals go mad with 

 thirst, and trample each other to death in great 

 numbers. Were it not for such periodical thinnings 

 they would probably become too numerous. 



The Tartar horses are more tractable than those of 

 South America, and are easily broken ; but they will, 

 nevertheless, invariably kill any strange horse which 

 may approach them, unless it is ridden by a man. 



Mr. Tull\-, who wrote a history of Tripoli, speaks of 

 the horses in Central Africa as beino- more beautiful 

 than those of Arabia or Barbary, and describes them 

 as possessing the best qualities of both breeds, and 

 that the horses which are bred near the Coast of 

 Guinea are very inferior, being small, weakly, unsafe, 

 and very difficult to tame. 



Until some twenty-five years ago I never saw an 

 Arab mare in this country, when the late Lord Strath- 

 nairn (then Sir Hugh Rose) brought one to Ireland, 

 and very much against my advice he made his A.D.C., 

 Captain Wilkin, ride her to the meet of the Ward 

 Union Hounds, where she was very much admired. I 

 regret to say that she broke her back at the very first 



